New Growth

I gave up on my little garden this year.  With so many days over 100, everything I had planted withered and eventually died.  I did have a few tomatoes, and my Texas 1015 onions did well, for a while.  Then the heat got them, too.

Until two weeks ago when I notice green shoots.  With a possible freeze coming that Monday, I asked First Daughter to pull them when I was sent into quarantine.  We had an entire batch of sweet 1015’s for the next few days.  It reminded me of:

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:23 KJV)

I had good ground. For a while, I watered and cared for the garden.  It bore good ‘fruit’ and we enjoyed that fruit. This also reminded me of another verse:

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6 KJV)

Can we transfer this example to people?  Sometimes the seeds lay until it really is God’s increase that is shown, just as these onions. The seeds were there, God provided the timing on the rain and the warmth.

When we speak of our faith, give out the word of God, we are the sower of Matthew’s parable.  We spread it where and when we get a chance.  Leaving a pamphlet with the tip at the restaurant table, speak to the person behind the register as we check out, remind someone to have a blessed day – there are many, many ways we can leave the gospel as our testimony. 

That may not even be planting.  It may be a slight preparation of the soil, getting it ready for the true seed in the word of God.

Why do we want to do that?  To help someone grow their faith:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 KJV)

What was that I heard you say?  Brainwashing?  Read nothing but the Bible and not understand what’s happening in the world?  I sure thought I heard that concept ringing through someone’s mind, maybe even read it from someone who found the word dry and lacking.

Frankly, I know my percentage of secular news and novels would be higher than a non-believers’ percentage of Bible reading.  It would be a pleasure to have them share a bit of Bible reading, and their opinions when finished.  I believe we’d both learn something. And, seeds would have been planted.